Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is one of the country's most environmentally responsible colleges and universities, according to The Princeton Review. The nationally known education services company included WPI in "The Princeton Review's Guide to 286 Green Colleges," a new resource for students and parents considering colleges.
Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the free publication is the first comprehensive guidebook focused on institutions of higher education that have demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities, and initiatives.
Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22), the guide is based on a survey of hundreds of colleges nationwide. It profiles the nation's most environmentally responsible campuses. For WPI, this recognition highlights the university's many environmental initiatives. One especially impressive example of WPI's commitment to environmental responsibility is the establishment of the President's Task Force on Sustainability, which serves to promote a "sustainability sensibility" in WPI's academic, research, and administrative endeavors.
"Students and their parents are becoming more and more interested in learning about and attending colleges and universities that practice, teach, and support environmental responsibility," said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review's senior vice president and publisher. "We created this guide to help them evaluate how institutions like Worcester Polytechnic Institute focus on environmental responsibility so they can make informed decisions as they move through the college assessment and application process."
WPI joins the ranks of outstanding universities and colleges nationwide that are leading the "green" movement through their own special programs and initiatives. "It is gratifying to see WPI's many accomplishments in sustainability–both for our campus and in our education and research activities–recognized in this way," said WPI Provost John Orr, who chairs the sustainability task force.
The Princeton Review chose the 286 schools included in its new guide based on "Green Rating" scores that it added to the online or annual college guidebook profiles for 697 schools in summer 2009. Only the 286 schools scoring in the 80th or higher percentile are included in the guide; they are not ranked.
• Read the USA Today article.
• Read the Chronicle of Higher Education article.
